again, my only experience with all-girls schools was courtesy of Logan’s vast porn stash.
“Sounds fancy.” Pulling her legs up so she was completely on my lap, I settled back in the seat. “Who took you to this big ‘coming out’ party?”
She shifted uncomfortably, staring down at her fingernails. I closed my hands over hers. “You can tell me,” I cajoled. “Did he have a hump? Three nipples? Or a—“
“No,” she snapped, cutting me off. “He was just a regular asshole. No deformities. Unless you count arrogance and an underdeveloped personality.”
“I was just kidding, darlin’.” Resting my chin on her shoulder, I gave her a squeeze. “Just make me a list of any of your old boyfriends. I’ll take care of them for you.”
“I told you before, Cameron, there was only one guy. Ever. One fucking asshole.”
She finally looked up, noting my shocked expression.
“What? Big surprise!” Scooting off my lap to the far end of the seat, she folded her arms across her chest. “I’m nothing like you. My parents didn’t let me go to parties or dances. And my only boyfriend—no, my fiancé—broke up with me because he didn’t want to be married to an ‘artist.’” Dropping her head to the back of the seat, she stared out the sunroof.
Chuckling to myself, I shook my head. Lily turned to me, fury igniting in her eyes.
“It’s not funny, Cameron.”
The band tightened in my chest at the sight of her trembling chin.
“Lily…” I scooted to her side, but she refused to look at me.
Dropping to my knees on the floorboard, I pried open her legs and positioned myself between her knees. I grabbed her calves when she tried to pull her legs away.
“Let me go.”
Wrapping her legs around my waist, I held them there until she looked at me.
“Darlin’, I wasn’t laughing at you.” Kneading the outside of her legs, I took a calming breath before I continued. “I was laughing because when I was growing up, I thought people like you, like your family, didn’t have any problems. My old man would go on a bender and leave for days at a time. Sometimes my mom had to go to the neighbors to ‘borrow’ a loaf of bread to make us toast with sugar. For dinner .”
Her legs fell away when I let them go, turning until my back was against the seat. It felt good to share a bit of my past with someone without fear it would make its way into some D-list gossip column. Too good.
Reaching for a distraction, I grabbed my phone and listened to the voicemail from Logan. He ticked off the name of the club in Deep Ellum where the band was having the meet and greet. I opened the text and typed in a response.
I was complicating the situation. Muddying the water. And I couldn’t help myself.
“Where do you live, darlin’?” I looked over my shoulder at Lily. “I thought we could swing by your place and pick up a few things. There’s a thing tonight in Deep Ellum.”
“I can’t tonight.” Her face fell, a forced smile appearing on her lips.
“Lily, I have two more days here.” Taking her hand, I brushed my thumb against hers. “I’d like to spend them with you. Every minute.”
“I’m sorry.” She looked out the window, not meeting my gaze. “I have plans.”
My stomach tumbled onto the floor at her feet, along with my pride.
“Can’t you break them?”
For me.
“I can’t.”
“Suit yourself, darlin’.”
Pulling my hand away, I checked the emails on my phone. Then I played Angry Birds. Then I just stared at the screen.
The limo finally, mercifully, pulled to a halt in front of The Mansion.
“Cameron?”
Her eyes were finally on me, but I was too pissed to look up. The driver swung the door open.
“I’m sorry. I have to—”
“No worries, Lily.” Cutting her off, I looked up from my phone. “We were just killing time.”
My smirk faded when her face went blank. She was out of the limo, running for her car before I could think.
Fuck.
Cursing, I hit the seat and jumped
“Sounds fancy.” Pulling her legs up so she was completely on my lap, I settled back in the seat. “Who took you to this big ‘coming out’ party?”
She shifted uncomfortably, staring down at her fingernails. I closed my hands over hers. “You can tell me,” I cajoled. “Did he have a hump? Three nipples? Or a—“
“No,” she snapped, cutting me off. “He was just a regular asshole. No deformities. Unless you count arrogance and an underdeveloped personality.”
“I was just kidding, darlin’.” Resting my chin on her shoulder, I gave her a squeeze. “Just make me a list of any of your old boyfriends. I’ll take care of them for you.”
“I told you before, Cameron, there was only one guy. Ever. One fucking asshole.”
She finally looked up, noting my shocked expression.
“What? Big surprise!” Scooting off my lap to the far end of the seat, she folded her arms across her chest. “I’m nothing like you. My parents didn’t let me go to parties or dances. And my only boyfriend—no, my fiancé—broke up with me because he didn’t want to be married to an ‘artist.’” Dropping her head to the back of the seat, she stared out the sunroof.
Chuckling to myself, I shook my head. Lily turned to me, fury igniting in her eyes.
“It’s not funny, Cameron.”
The band tightened in my chest at the sight of her trembling chin.
“Lily…” I scooted to her side, but she refused to look at me.
Dropping to my knees on the floorboard, I pried open her legs and positioned myself between her knees. I grabbed her calves when she tried to pull her legs away.
“Let me go.”
Wrapping her legs around my waist, I held them there until she looked at me.
“Darlin’, I wasn’t laughing at you.” Kneading the outside of her legs, I took a calming breath before I continued. “I was laughing because when I was growing up, I thought people like you, like your family, didn’t have any problems. My old man would go on a bender and leave for days at a time. Sometimes my mom had to go to the neighbors to ‘borrow’ a loaf of bread to make us toast with sugar. For dinner .”
Her legs fell away when I let them go, turning until my back was against the seat. It felt good to share a bit of my past with someone without fear it would make its way into some D-list gossip column. Too good.
Reaching for a distraction, I grabbed my phone and listened to the voicemail from Logan. He ticked off the name of the club in Deep Ellum where the band was having the meet and greet. I opened the text and typed in a response.
I was complicating the situation. Muddying the water. And I couldn’t help myself.
“Where do you live, darlin’?” I looked over my shoulder at Lily. “I thought we could swing by your place and pick up a few things. There’s a thing tonight in Deep Ellum.”
“I can’t tonight.” Her face fell, a forced smile appearing on her lips.
“Lily, I have two more days here.” Taking her hand, I brushed my thumb against hers. “I’d like to spend them with you. Every minute.”
“I’m sorry.” She looked out the window, not meeting my gaze. “I have plans.”
My stomach tumbled onto the floor at her feet, along with my pride.
“Can’t you break them?”
For me.
“I can’t.”
“Suit yourself, darlin’.”
Pulling my hand away, I checked the emails on my phone. Then I played Angry Birds. Then I just stared at the screen.
The limo finally, mercifully, pulled to a halt in front of The Mansion.
“Cameron?”
Her eyes were finally on me, but I was too pissed to look up. The driver swung the door open.
“I’m sorry. I have to—”
“No worries, Lily.” Cutting her off, I looked up from my phone. “We were just killing time.”
My smirk faded when her face went blank. She was out of the limo, running for her car before I could think.
Fuck.
Cursing, I hit the seat and jumped
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